Device for continuous feed of textile materials in lap form to dyeing or analogous treatment apparatus



Sept. 1. 1925. 1,551,865

J. BRANDWOOD ET AL DEVICE FOR CONTINUOUS FEED OF TEXTILE'MATERIALS IN LAP FORM TO DYEING OR ANALOGOUS TREATMENT APPARATUS Filed Feb. 6, 1923 T all "1123-" n veil/01s- Patented Sept. 1, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN BRANIDWOOD, THOMAS BRANDWOO'D, ANID- aosnrrr nnannwoon, or ELTON,

BUR-Y, ENGLAND.

DEVICE FOR CONTINUOUS FEED OF TEXTILE MATERIALS IN LA]? FORM TO DYEINGV" OR ANALOGOUS TREATMENT APPARATUS.

Application filed February 6, 1923. Serial No. 617,286.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that we, JOHN BRANDWOOD, THOMAS BRANDWOOD, and Josnrrr BRAND- woon, subjects of the Kingof Great Britain spinning, in a continuous lap to apparatus in which the said material may be treated for the dyeing or analogous treatment thereof in a continuous feed manner. More specifically, it relates to apparatus of the type described and claimed in the specification to our prior application for United States Letters Patent, under Serial No. 574,618 filed the 13th day of July, 1922. In that specification there is described an apparatus whereby textile materials on being formed into a lap are fed by means of a travelling lattice to the nip of a conveyor consisting of two endless bands, the lap being held between the two bands as they traverse the apparatus, for the dyeing or other treatmentin a series of tanks.

The object of the present invention is an improvement in such continuous feed apparatus to enable materials whether of a soft or compact character to be formed into a uniform lap so that the thickness of material to be held by the double conveyors in their passage through the treatment apparatus shall be influenced to the smallest possible degree by the character of the said material.

In carrying the invention into effect we provide an endless lattice on to which the material is fed for the purpose stated; an additional endless lattice placed over the first lattice, and closing side members situate on each side of the machine between the upper and bottom lattices, said side members being adjustable inwardly or outwardly, that is, towards or away from the material passing from the lap machine, to adjust the lateral spaceallowed for such passing material.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, we will now describe it in the form best known to us for the'purpose, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein 1 Figurel is a side elevation showing the lattices and one of the adjustable sides, with means for driving the top lattice from the gearing of the bottom lattice;

Figure 2 is a plan; a roller of Figure 1 being removed for clearness; and

Figure 3 is a cross section on line 3-3 of Figures 1 and 2. V

Ileferring to the drawings, 4 is a lap forming machine in whichthe textile mate-.

rial being handled is formed into a continuous fiat sheet or lap. The lap is not, however, formed into rolls upon lap rods as in common practice. It passes in a continuous sheet from the machine 4 through nip rolls 4? 4 on to an endless lattice 5 which is driven in any convenient manner,-

asfor instance by a chain passing around a chain wheel 6 on the shaft of the lower roller 6 of the treatment apparatus provided for the dyeing or other treatment of the laps, and around a sprocket wheel 8 fixed on shaft 13 of theroller 8. The lattice 5 is'of the ordinary construction of such apparatus, and is endless, passing around the rollers 7 and 8. 9 is an upper lattice of similar construction to thelattice 5. It is endless and passes around the rollers 10 and 11 as shown. The lattices 5 and 9 are not parallel; they are at an angle to each other as shown in Figure 1, for the gradual compression of thematerial contained between them. To drive the upper lattice 9 at the same speed as the lower lattice 5, a gear wheel 12 is keyed or otherwise fitted upon the shaft 13 of the roller 8, this wheel meshing with a similar wheel 14; upon the shaft 15 of roller 11 of the upper lattice. The ends of shaft 13 and 15 are journalled in bearings 13 15, in the fixed metal frame 16, but the bearings for the shaft 15 are adapted to slide vertically within a slot 17 (Figure 1).

At each side of the lattice and on a fixed supporting frame 18 of metal, a vertical treatment of the latter.

hinge pin 19 is secured at its lower extremity, to receive a corresponding socket 20 on a side member 21 which is of triangular conformation in side elevation. One of these side members 21 is'provided on each side of the machine, and, with the upper and lower lattices, they form a closed space through which the material in a continuous lap travels from the machine 4 to the treatment apparatus. Adjustment of the side members 21 may be-effected around the hinge pins 19, and the said members fixed in any position by means of a slotted segment 22, through the slotof which passes a screw 23 secured in the frame 18 and being provided with a wing nut25. 5

In the operation of the machine, the continuous sheet or lap as formed by the apparatus at passes on to the lower lattice 5 and is borne thereby towards the treatment apparatus. The latter may be of the type described and claimed in: the United States Letters Patent No. 1,432,319 but it forms no part of this invention and may be of any other type employing two endless conveyor bands as a container for the lap during the course of dyeing or analogous If the material being handled is of a compact and homogeneous character, it will be found that, to a greater or less degree,'it will be borne by the lower-lattice without overlapping at the edges thereof. If the fibrous'mass of material of the lap is soft however, and of a lesser degree of density, it is necessary, in order to make a lap of uniform width and thickness, to constrain it from overlapping theedges of the lower lattice 5 as the latter advances with increased vertical compression on the material, in the continually lessening vertical space between the two lattices. To

this end the side members 21 are therefore pushed inwardly to the desired degree and adjusted by means of the quadrants 22 and fastening screws 23, the degree of ad ust ment, as will be understood, varying with the degree of softness or otherwise of the material. As already stated, the bearings 15 of the roller shaft 15 are slidable vertically. Should the lap of material being formed be greater in thickness than the normal vertical distance between the roller 8 and roller 11, the roller 11 will lift, without however causing the disengagement ofthe teeth of gear wheels 12 and 14 as they are proportionately long to still remain in en gagement when roller 11 1s lifted. The roller 11- may beformed of su'liicient weight to give the necessary compression to the material of the lap as it passes between the lattices 5 and 9. a V

The side members 21 may beof sheet metal or of other suitable material; the lattices 5 and 9 of wood or metal laths; and the rollers 7, 8, 10, 11 of wood or metal, as may be desired.

lVe claim 1. In combination with a machine for the formation of textile materials into a continuous, lap for continuous feed of the said lap to a double conveyor for the dyeing or analogous treatment thereof, a lower endless lattice to receive'the lap and carry it to the nip of the double conveyors, an upper endless lattice the lower portion of which travels over and in the same direction as the material, and-side members bet-ween the two lattices, with means for laterally adjusting the said side members.

2. In combination with a machine for the formation of textile materials into a continuous lap for continuous feed of the said 7 lap to a double conveyor for the dyeing or analogous treatment thereof, a lower endless lattice to receive the continuous lap and carry it to the nip of the double conveyor, an upperendless lattice the lower portion of which travels in the same direction as the a tinuous lap for continuous feed of the said lap to a double conveyor for the dyeing or analogous treatment thereof, a lower endless lattice to receive the continuous lap and carry it to the nip of the double conveyor, an upper endless lattice the lower portion of which travels in the same direction as the continuous lap and which upper lattice is driven from the lower lattice and at the same speed, side members placed between the two lattices each side member being capable of angular adjustment around a hinge, and a segment with screw securing means to secure each of the side members in any desired posit-ion.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

JOHN BRANDWOOD. THOMAS BRANDWOOD. JOSEPH BRA-NDWOOD. 

